Marcos Administration Closely Monitoring Pogo Ban Implementation

MANILA, Philippines — Two weeks after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the closure of all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) by the end of the year, concerns remain over potential loopholes or new disguises that these companies might use to circumvent the prohibition.

In Congress, the countdown to the Pogo deadline is expected to be marked by continued scrutiny of the industry, particularly its alleged use as a front for organized crime involving Chinese nationals, including cases from the previous Duterte administration.

At the Senate, Sen. Risa Hontiveros warned the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) against attempts to "reinterpret" the President's order, as articulated in his third State of the Nation Address on July 22. Hontiveros, who had initiated a Senate inquiry into Pogo operations, stated that anything being appealed for during this time and those whose operations are being wound down should be covered by the President's Pogo ban.

Pagcor Chair Alejandro Tengco earlier mentioned the existence of 12 special business process outsourcing (SBPO) companies servicing foreign gaming entities and suggested that they should be allowed to continue operations. He claimed that these SBPOs are not connected to Pogos but serve offshore gaming taking place in other countries.

However, Hontiveros reminded Tengco of Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra's earlier statement that Marcos' instruction to ban Pogos was "unequivocal." She emphasized that all Pogos should cease to exist by year-end and that Pagcor can expedite the process by revoking the licenses granted to 43 facilities now known as "internet gaming licensees" (IGLs).

Tengco, facing House members, stated that he was focused on winding down the operations of the 42 IGLs. He recalled that upon assuming the Pagcor chairmanship in 2022, he tried to overhaul the industry by coming up with new regulatory standards for offshore gaming and rebranding Pogos as IGLs, resulting in more than 290 Pogos losing their licenses.

As of Aug. 6, there were only 42 "legal Pogos" left, and Tengco believed that up to the time the President announced the ban, they were doing legitimate business, contributing revenue to the government and providing employment to hundreds of thousands of people. However, he acknowledged the President's mandate to wind down their operations by the end of the year.

In response to a question from Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza, Tengco mentioned the possibility of studying a "better version" of Pogos in the future, stating that it could be a "golden opportunity for the Philippines." However, he emphasized that the industry had given itself a bad reputation for various reasons.

Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales proposed forming a four-committee body to consolidate all ongoing House inquiries into Pogos, noting the interwoven and intricate issues being tackled by separate committees. Manila Rep. Joel Chua and Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas supported the proposal, stating that a joint investigation would enable a more inclusive and thorough examination of these issues.

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